Anthony's definitely a very trust-worthy saint! I would know... he knows me only too well. I lose practically everything, and I'm always calling on him. . He's also a great saint for a discerning contemplative!!

hey missy,
Here is the St. Therese novena http://www.ewtn.com/therese/novena.htm I hope that helps. I use to love to find new novena's just to keep for personal reference anyway your in my prayers hon.

In Jesus, Our Blessed Mother and Joseph,

P.S. I have placed my vocation in the hands of my second mother St. Teresa of Avila

I think I'm entrusting mine to Bl. Anna Schaeffer

Hello my dear sisters in Christ,
I need to ask for your prayers. On Thursday my mom went back to school and will be living 3 hours away from us for the next three years. She'll be home most weekends, but it is still a big change for the family. I had hoped to be entering religious life after highschool (I'm now 17 with one more year to go), but now I just don't know. I have a younger sister who is still living at home, and I worry about her being home by herself without much female influence should I leave after graduation. My oldest sister lives an hour away with her husband, but they have two very young children and their own home responsibilities. I talked with Sr. Louise Marie the other day about it, and although she says usually it is better to enter directly, she can understand my predicament. I just don't know what to do! I've heard our Lord calling for about 7 years, and don't know if I should put Him off any longer!
Sorry this is so long! Prayers would be greatly appreciated, and know of my little prayers for you all as always.

You are definitely in my prayers!!!!

I also have a prayer intention... my 'group' of girls hoping to enter the Dominican Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist this August 28 just received an email from Sr. Joseph Andrew asking if we could possibly wait until September 8... apparently they just received a later completion date for the construction of the chapel and novitiate wing and such... and if we entered in August, we'd have a TON of manual labor along with getting used to the life. So anyways, please PRAY! I don't want to wait until September, even if it is just a week and a half, and we already have plane tickets for August. And yet... all in God's perfect plan!!!! So please do pray that God's will be done and that it all be sorted out! Thank you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Wow... prayers comming!

It's definitely good that you think of your sister and the fact that your mom won't be around for her for about two years after your entrance. I assume she's in Jr. High/just starting high school? That really is an age where girls need female influence in the house, I think. You'll be in my prayers. I definitely know what you mean about wanting to enter right out of high school... I have thought of what I would do if something happened and I wasn't able to enter this year. It would be a really tough decision, but it sounds like your intentions are good on both sides, so just pray that you'll make the right decision and count on our prayers!

oh definately prayers for all of you. Crusader03 that is so exciteing you are enetering so soon! wowzer i think i would die of excitement lol.
Daughter of mary oh that is a tough descion and will be very difficult for you lots of prayers for that.
Oh and thank you for the novena too

God bless and Mary Keep
Karin

I think that I am going to see if I can enter the Postulancy of the Poor Clare Colettines next July... I know things with my mom will be the worst though... St. Rita, pray for me!

Prayers all around! For daughter of Mary, Carly and Angela, may God's will be done and Mary comfort you all!

Prayers for both of you! Thanks, sisters, for your prayers. Very greatly appreciated.

hi guys i am asking for prayers right now I am not sure i am just really i dont know upset about my vocation or kinda worrried i am not sure its hard to explain you could just pray for me..... dont worry nothing is wrong i dont suppose... thank you

Sure thing, karin! if I get the chance, I'll visit Jesus and offer a holy hour for you.

Thanks again for the prayers. I went to confession and adoration today and feel much more peaceful about everything. I still don't know what to do, but God will take care of it! I have the hardest time TRUSTING...anybody else struggle with that?

ForHimAlone,
I can't remember if this is the right thread, but the title of the book about Mother Berchman is Exile Ends in Glory by Merton. It is sooooo beautiful. I need to type up her act of consecration to Mary and post it.

Thanks! I'll definitely make sure to check it out!!

daughter-of-Mary,

Whenever it really hurts to trust Jesus, offer up your pain to Him. Accept the worry as a cross.
For some souls, persistent temptations against trust and hope will always be bigger crosses than temptations to anger and lust.

St Therese of Lisieux, pray for us!

Wow. Thank you.

I want to dig my book of Saints quotes out that I just got! It has some awesome quotes that might help...

Something I found in the Bulletin under a weekly section called "A Vocation View":
Jesus knew that when we are commited to whatever we are doing--no obstacle can prevent us from reaching our goal. So Jesus could say: "If you will not take up your cross and come after me, you are not worthy of me."

Read "The true spouse of Jesus Christ" by St.A.DLeguiri(sp?)
Great book, should be required reading for all discerning a vocation.

But of course the best "instruction" book is the Bible!

I entrusted my vocation to John Paul the Great, and Mary.

Excellent Patrons

A quick poem on trust from a prayer book:

Trust Him when dark doubts assail thee
Trust Him when thy strength is small
Trust Him when to simply trust Him
Seems the hardest thing of all.

oooh i like it

That's great!

Man, i cannot wait to be a nun!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Same here!!!!

Am I hallucinating, or are there really flying stars all over the phorum? I'm really getting quite worried.

I thought I saw a big dog in our garden, but couldn't find him. I thought maybe it was the Hound of Heaven coming after me.

Those darned stars just won't stop... I mean they're pretty and all, but are they really necessary?

Sorry to burst your bubble, but I didn't see any stars.

From those strong Feet that followed, followed after.
But with unhurrying chase,
And unperturbèd pace,
Deliberate speed, majestic instancy,
They beat -- and a Voice beat
More instant than the Feet
"All things betray thee, who betrayest Me."

Yeah....they were fireworks for the 4th of July.

Sarah!!!! hehe

Hey, just thought I'd let you guys know....I'm meeting a sister from the Order of the Sacred and Immaculate Hearts of Jesus and Mary on the 18th. We're going to go to Mass at the Cathedral in Pittsburgh and talk about my vocation.

yay! Let me know how it goes!

Best of wishes for your meeting. I hope all goes well. Count on prayers from the pham

oooo... sounds exciting I hope everything goes well!
God Bless and Mary Protect!

I seriously cannot wait to enter the Monastery... maybe when I visit my doctor when I met her, I can give her the form to fill out... and maybe set up another appt. for the check-up...
Then I have to see the dentist as well... I'll have to set up an appt. there as well...
These are all things I've never done before... so, yeah... it'll be okay, just akward being the first time...

HEY COOL THREAD!!!!!!

wow i'm excited about this thread haha. I have sooo many like questions! well right now only one but i have alot of questions over time.
So like ok, here's my big concern about being a nun, i barely know anything about any orders and i REALLY want to learn more!!! I just don't know where to get the info. and if i wanted to visit like an order of nuns how could i do that?

this is an awesome thread and i think yall girls are awesome!

love love love, Jesus is love!

~kathleen

Futurenun+JMJ+ (sorry, I forgot your name )

I know!!!!!!!!! I can't WAIT to enter...I am getting impatient! I can hardly concentrate at school! I just want to leave and follow Jesus...He's calling NOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Its sooo exciting!!! and I am so much happier than I have ever been....... I totally can't wait!!!! I am continually praying to the Holy Spirit to grant me patience!!!! I have at the VERY very very least, seven months to enter. However, in reality, its more like 14 ........ its heartbreaking....Although, I'm not exactly 100% sure of WHERE I am meant to be entering.



OK: Kathleen, I would recommend you really pray and think about what sort of things attract you, and what sort of charism seems to fit your own personal spirituality. For me, I love learning, and I love telling people about how amazingly good our Lord is, so it became obvious that I was called to the Dominicans. (Order of Preachers!) However, I also really like the quiet simplicity of the Poor Clares.

Another thing to keep in mind is whether you feel called to the hidden life of prayer, or an active apostolate. I am equally drawn to teaching and the cloister, so whereever He wants me...I'll go!
This is pretty good, as is this one.

And try this one also. Its OK.

Theres a couple to get you started! and God be with you!!!!!! btw, I am Emily, the one from New Zealand.

One of the great things about technology are the resources you can find on the Internet, including TONS of religious communities!! If you want to pursue a religious vocation, the most important thing is prayer. Through prayer you will find what kind of community you have been created to belong to. You need to discern whether your call lies in a contemplative or active vocation. Every order has a different charism, as well.

A word of advice I once received from a nun - Don't look too hard. There's so many different communities that if you look at so many you will get confused. Just trust Jesus and let Him take you by the hand and lead you to where He wants you to be. It is of course important to find out information about the different orders and communities, but most importantly- trust Jesus. He'll bring you to where you need to be.

You've never been to the doctor or dentist?? You're so lucky! lol... I hope everything goes well on your first, and hopefully last, visits. :-p

Welcome, welcome, Kathleen!!!

What ForHimAlone said is really VERY true. When I started discernment (6 years ago ) I did a lot of "nun shopping", looking at all the orders that appealed to me (not that that is wrong, but I did so without the right attitude). I got distracted from what He wanted! Once I 'fessed up and started discernment over again (this time asking for HIS will!), Jesus led me right to the doorstep of the Monastery where God willing I will enter soon! It is a community I would not have chosen for myself, but now I love every aspect of the order's vocation (pray for priests! whoo-hoo!!)

Anyway, that's my little story. Having said all that, I'd highly recommend this page for getting to know some of the (orthodox) communities that are out there. Trust God! He'll lead you to the right one!

Kathleen,

Welcome to the vocation pham!! I agree with the previous poster (two posts ago) on the fact that the Order to which you are called can really be discerned by evaluating what gifts you have been given and how you feel drawn to use them. The way this is done in a religious Order is through the charism and spirituality of the community. Our group could possibly be of assistance in helping you get started on your search. If you like, you can tell us what type of religious life you feel called to (cloistered, active, contemplative non-cloistered...), and what your gifts are, and how you would like to use them. God bless you!

well, I didn't mean it like that... it's the first visit to a new doctor and the first time calling to make an appmnt. for myself...

Good luck! I've always been nervous to make my own appointments and what-not. It's terrifying!!

Oh, an exciting development! I've been invited to attend a Solemn Profession at the Cistercian monastery next month! How good is the Lord! Has anyone else been to a Profession before?

I've been to a first profession (Temp vows...) I could just imagine myself there recieving the vows, lol But it is within the Mass and it is sooo cool!

Cool! I've been to solem profession of Benedictines (monks) and Dominicans (nuns). Who is making Solemn Profession there?

How wonderful!

I really want to make it to my (future) community's final vows on July 22 AND first profession on August 6. Too bad they're 2,000 miles away...... AGH! But, then again, after this year, I'll be at professions every year!!!!

Hey guys I'm a regular luker, and I've really loved reading about all your vocation adventures. Unfortunately, mine keeps going *splat*.

For awhile now, I've felt strongly called to the Dominican charism of **The Truth***

So ... I contaced the Nashville Dominicans, (From everything I've seen and heard I loooooooove them. their life, their apostolate, everything)

Sr. called and said she'd send me some information, we'd be in touch etc. She was extremely nice and i was truly slap happy.

But now its been 2 weeks and I've heard nothing. I know I am being really immature (I just turned 20 for goodness sakes) but I am so perturbed. Now I'm entertaining wierd conspiracy theories, like maybe my parents are stealing my stuff out of the mail. (Re: the nun business, they are not amused.)

So ugh I need some support. How long should I wait before I should really get worried? Before I "make contact" again? I just hate it when religious communities "drop you." That happen to anybody else? Its happened to me A LOT. Everythings fine, the letters are gelling, and then *poof* they lose my address, email, phone # .... lol. It IS a conspiracy

Heya Fair Verona.....I know what you mean about the Nashville Dominicnas. I bawled my eyes out when I watched their video. OK, well, I had to email them three times before the sister became interested in me. Thats quite a while...I actually sent two emails in a row before she last replied....I say, pray about it and then keep going, if its where Gods calling you, there will be a way....even if it takes a while.

Hmmmmmm, dont know about your conspiracy theory....maybe try contact the Dominicans again. How far away are you? if the info's being sent thru snail mail, it can take a long time....And also, with the other communities, give it a month and try again....I think that in SOME cases, persistance can really work.

My parents don't officially know yet, I think they kind of know in a subconcious sort of way., but they are refusing to think about it coz I've still got 4 months of (secondary) school left.

I'll keep you in my prayers.

But now its been 2 weeks and I've heard nothing. I know I am being really immature (I just turned 20 for goodness sakes) but I am so perturbed. Now I'm entertaining wierd conspiracy theories, like maybe my parents are stealing my stuff out of the mail. (Re: the nun business, they are not amused.)

So ugh I need some support. How long should I wait before I should really get worried? Before I "make contact" again? I just hate it when religious communities "drop you." That happen to anybody else? Its happened to me A LOT. Everythings fine, the letters are gelling, and then *poof* they lose my address, email, phone # .... lol. It IS a conspiracy
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The Nashville Dominicans have so many people inquiring that it probably takes awhile for them to keep up with the mail. So be patient. I know someone who wrote M. Angelica's sisters and it was 6 months before she heard from them!
I've visited Nashville, etc. but a large community that everyone goes to just isn't my thing. Besides, I've heard that a lot of sisters leave during formation. I'm more attracted to smaller communities and probably more contemplative than active, anyway.
If you think your folks are intercepting your mail maybe you need to sit down and talk to them. Don't accuse them; just say what you said here about losing contact, etc.
Also, when in contact with these orders are you just keeping up a correspondence or actively interested in getting to know them better by visits, etc. That would make a difference.
Good luck!
Susan

Another Dominican?!?! Cool! Check out the Dominican Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist or email them at sjab@sistersofmary.org or smmevocations@sistersofmary.org You should get a pretty quick response from them....

(Haha, I know, what a shameless plug for my sisters! Hehe)